With ALL of these questions posed in regards to the Bible wouldn't it be nice to be able to access the questions in one place instead of flipping between blog postings? Now you can! The questions for the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch are now in one compilation, and there is no need whatsoever to flip-flop between various posts! Go here for your copy:
http://www.amazon.com/Turkey-Broth-Spirit-Questions-Pentateuch-ebook/dp/B00GVLQ0CY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385651545&sr=8-1&keywords=ester+lighthorse
Has it ever crossed your mind?
http://www.amazon.com/Turkey-Broth-Spirit-Questions-Pentateuch-ebook/dp/B00GVLQ0CY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385651545&sr=8-1&keywords=ester+lighthorse
Has it ever crossed your mind?
Please put any answers you may have in the comments section at the end of the post. If you choose to use Bible verses as a reference please include the passage location. Thank you.
Sound the trumpets! Here we are with Part IV of our journey into the questions I have in regards to the Holy Bible. I do not expect all of my questions to be answered. I do not expect that everyone would have the same questions themselves. I am simply presenting the questions I have about many of the things in the Bible that are supposed to be true, the literal and actual words of the only God. These questions of mine are part of why I DO NOT believe that the Bible is the absolute truth, the words of God. If you wish to think the Bible is absolutely true and everything that goes along with that, fine.
Answer some of these questions if you would be so kind. I want to know how you answer these questions and how you factor in such questions into your faith. I want to know why you believe the Bible as literal truth despite these questions. Tell me why you believe and why I should believe the same as you. Give me a reason to believe.
As mentioned in previous posts answers of "because God said so" or anything similar will not be acceptable answers. If you find you do not have an answer to a particular question no worries. Simply go on to the next one.
We are still in the book of Genesis.
1. Genesis 3:22
22 And the LORD God said, "Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."
Questions
1) An easy question here: Does the Bible state man was created by God in the image of God?
2) So, God is all-knowing of good and evil, all-powerful, and eternal, but...the man He supposedly creates in His own image knows absolutely nothing of what good and evil are, is treated as though he (man) has NO power or say, deserves NO power or say in any of the demented adventures God whips up, and in addition to all that he (man) is MORTAL?
3) Considering the above question referencing mortality, why do some people interpret God's creation of man as God having created man in a PERFECT state?
4) In further considerations of mortality, doesn't the fact that God also placed in the Garden of Eden the tree of life justifiably allow for the presumption that God created man as a mortal being/in a mortal state?
5) How could man have been created in a 'perfect' state by God if God created him mortal?
6) Can mortality exist within perfection?
7) Can it be argued that mortality CAN exist within perfection so long as the expression of the existence itself is perfect (i.e. the beauty of a rose, animals that can withstand extreme environments)?
8) Even if it is assumed that mortality CAN exist within perfection, and even if a perfect God created man in a mortal state, doesn't the mortality within perfection argument fail when it comes to man since his immense ignorance of good and evil, lack of true control over anything to include his mind, obliviousness to danger, and failure to recognize and understand the omnipotence of God make man's expression of existence nowhere near perfect?
9) If God created man in a mortal state, and remember that the existence of the tree of life in the garden totally lends merit to the idea man was created mortal, how in the HELL does it make any sense that when God warned Adam and Eve about the bad tree He said that the consequence of eating the bad fruit would be that Adam and Eve would surely die?
10) How can the threat of sure death as a consequence of eating the bad fruit be justifiably used by God in an appropriate, truthful manner when man is already mortal?
11) Why didn't God inform Adam and Eve of their pre-existing mortality?
12) Could it be argued that God used Adam's and Eve's ignorance of mortality against them when due to their own innocent ignorance it would be impossible for them to recognize mortality on their own, much less understand it?
13) Knowing full well that man was already mortal why did God only inform man of the bad tree, whose beautiful but lethal fruit would serve only to further complicate and deepen man's mortality?
14) Can it be argued that considering the above questions the idea of man being created in God's image is a mirage?
2. Genesis 3:24
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Questions
1) How does God's punishment on man fit the crime?
2) Do you really believe that curses that last forever (or at least until Jesus returns to earth) and that serve to debilitate man along with purposeful placement of enmity by God for the purpose of creating harsh living environments qualifies as JUST punishment?
3) How can God's punishments placed upon man be considered justified when instead of sounding like just/deserved punishment God's edicts sound more like cruel, wickedly swift, intentional, totally crushing acts of annihilation?
3. Genesis 4:3-7
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Questions
1) Why didn't God inform Cain and Abel of any requirements, rules or regulations in regards to sacrifice and what God wanted in regard to the same?
2) Is God's neglect to inform Cain and Abel of the sacrifice requirements another example of God interfering with man and doing so with malice by willfully designing to fail?
3) If Cain did not know he was supposed to sacrifice something with blood in it how could God justifiably respond to Cain in the manner in which He did?
4) Why did God allow Abel to be killed over a misunderstanding solely attributable to God, or was it that Abel was simply the victim of divine demerits issued by God for Cain not playing twenty-questions to figure out exactly what God wanted when it came to sacrifice?
5) If God knew that Cain misunderstood/did not know sacrifice requirements, and if God knew that Cain would respond to God's rejection of the veggie sacrifice by killing Abel why didn't God either properly inform Cain OR stop him from killing his brother?
6) Is the silent message here that Cain still owed God a blood sacrifice, an innocent blood sacrifice, and that God was going to get that blood sacrifice owed Him one way or another and so did not stop Cain and did not warn Abel of what Cain was going to do?
7) Can it be argued that Abel, innocent and blameless and valued and cherished (if not valued and cherished by Cain, then by Adam and Eve), ended up being the blood sacrifice Cain owed God?
8) Can it be justifiably argued that God's willful failure to provide the sacrifice rules to Cain, purposeful rejection of Cain's veggie sacrifice and subsequent failure to stop Cain from killing Abel or to even warn Abel at all may be interpreted as extreme indifference to the value of human life, thus making God guilty of murder under the depraved heart theory?
9) Where is the justice, where is the truth in allowing Abel to die for the misunderstanding of what God wanted?
4. Genesis 4:12-14
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
Questions
1) If Cain is cursed as a fugitive and a wanderer how did he stay anywhere long enough to build a city as he did in Genesis 4:17?
5. Genesis 4:17
17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
Questions
1) So, we DO know that Cain got married, but why doesn't the Bible state which of his sisters he married?
2) Remember, man is still in his infancy and is not much more in numbers than a handful of people who were indeed direct descendants of Adam and Eve. Now consider that up to this point the only other woman mentioned was Cain's mother Eve, who we know for sure stayed behind with Adam and popped out more children. So, again I ask you which of his sisters did Cain marry?
6. Genesis 6:2
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Questions
1) So...when this type of story/belief happens in ancient mythology, such as with Zeus, such a thing is considered a fable, but when such a thing happens in the Bible it is truth?
7. Genesis 6:6
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Questions
1) How is it that God regrets?
2) What is regret?
3) Does perfection know regret?
4) What is the difference between regret existing in perfection as opposed to mortality existing in perfection?
5) Is the difference in the expression of existence, in which case regret infers error of choice?
8. Genesis 6:8
8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Questions
1) Isn't God 'finding favor' with Noah contrary to God's assumed perfect nature?
2) What is the basis for God's measurement of favor?
3) Can it be argued that God's measurement of failure is more about doing whatever God wants and not necessarily what is good for man?
9. Genesis 6:13
13 Then God said to Noah, "I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth."
Questions
1) Is the earth filled with violence due to God or man?
2) WHO did the designing to fail?
3) Does man fail because God has severely stunted man's power, and why would God do such a thing?
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